Tate and Adelstein could be out in the cold

Democratic leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee have not acted on the nominations of Federal Communications Commission members Jonathan Adelstein and Deborah Taylor Tate and are unlikely to do so before the election. Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) could become the next chairman of the Commerce Committee and would probably want his own commissioner, or even a chairman, in place, in an effort to have some influence on the commission's agenda. At a December 2007 oversight hearing of the FCC, Sen Rockefeller vowed to block the nominations, as he objected to the FCC's management of late. Sen Rockefeller specifically called for legislation to overhaul the commission's structure, the terms of the commissioners and the agency's mission.